Drop wires for warping machines and the like



July 31, 1956 F. H. KAUFMANN 2,756,482

DROP WIRES FOR WARPING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed April 7, 1955 INVENTOR %'4n% 5' ldafnzarzn Patented July 31, 1956 ice DROP WIRES FOR'WARPING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Frank H. Kaufmann, Huutiugdon Valley, Pa., assignor to SteelI-Ieddle Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia,

Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Applicafion April 7, 1955,.Serial'No. 499,865

Claims. (CI. 23-51) This invention relates to drop wires for warping machines and the like, and more particularly to drop wires used as detector elements in the stop motions of such machines.

It is, of course, well known that the drop wires or detector elements used in the stop motions of warping machines, by reason of the relatively high speed at which the warp threads run through the eye portions of the drop wires, will ordinarily soon be cut through and rendered useless, unless provision be made to prevent such occurrence.

By' reason of the foregoing, recourse has been had to the use of eye pieces of hard material having wear re sistant' properties which are so constructed and arranged to extend the life of the drop Wires.

The present invention is directed to novel means for mounting such eye pieces in the upper end portions'of the drop wires.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide drop wires which are so made that wear resistant eye pieces may be properly held at the upper ends of the drop wires, the parts of'which' are so arranged that the eye pieces may be readily inserted initially and replaced subsequently if required. V

A further object of the invention is to provide drop wires of the character aforesaid, which are so constructed and arranged whereby the eye pieces, through which the warp threads pass, are rotatively mounted whereby the Wear on the inner surface of the hole through which the warp thread passes will be evenly distributed.

The nature and characteristic features of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, enlarged, of a drop Wire embodying the main features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a fragmentary portion of the drop wire shown in Fig. 1, but with the retaining tongue, which is used for securing the eye piece, in the position assumed during the placing or removal of an eye piece;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the upper portion of the drop wire, the section being taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the drop wire, the same being shown in operative relationship with a warp thread upon which the drop wire is used;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section, slightly enlarged, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a modified form of the invention and showing means for securing, at the upper end of the drop wire, an eye piece of a different formation;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 77 of Fig. 6, enlarged; and

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line 88 of Fig. 6, enlarged.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawing herein-are illustrative merely, and that various modificationsand changes may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit" of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. l to 5 of the drawing, in the particular embodiment of theinv'ention therein shown, the drop wire is made from a flat strip of metal, suitably punched and formed to the desired outline and shape. The body portion of the drop wire may be of any preferred shape, and may be provided with a suitable slot as will be required when the drop wire is in use. i

As shown, the body portion 10 ofthe drop wire is pro vided with a centrally disposed slot 11, the upper end of which is defined by an inclined marginal edge 12. This type of drop wire is ordinarily used in electrically controlled stop motions as will, of course, be readily'apparent to those familiar with this art. However, the invention is equally applicable to drop wires used in stop motions of the mechanical type.

The upper end of the drop wire is initially punched and formed to provide an elongated tongue portion 13 which is bent around and is normally positioned in theannular groove 14 of an eye piece 15, which groove is located midway the ends of said eye pieces. The eye piece 15 also has a central hole 16 extending lengthwise therethrough, through which hole 16 the warp thread 17 passes.

The extreme end part 18 of the tongue portion 13 extends downwardly towardthe body of the drop wire and is normally inserted under a lip portion 19, which is struck out of the body portion 19 of the drop Wire.

The manner of insertion or removal of the eye piece 15 is shown in Fig- 2 of the drawing. After the annular groove 14 of the eye piece 15 is brought into position within the bight of the tongue portion 13, the extreme end part 18 of the tongue portion 13 is sprunged'gewise as shown in Fig. 2, and the-same is: then pushed inwardly behind the lip portion 19 hereinbefore referred to. l

The retaining tongue 13 for the eye piece is preferably so shaped that the inserted eye piece 15 may rotate freely Within the same so as to constantly present different portions of the interior surface thereof on which the warp end bears when passing therethrough, whereby the wear will be distributed evenly over the entire interior surface of the hole of the eye piece.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 of the drawing, there is shown a modified form of tongue member 13*- adapted more particularly for use for holding, at the upper end of the drop wire, an eye piece 15 of somewhat diilerent formation.

Eye pieces of this particular shape or formation have been commonly used in the industry, and there is shown, in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 of the drawing, means intended for using eye pieces of this particular form in accordance with the present invention.

In this form there is additionally provided a spring ring member 20 which is inserted in the relatively narrow annular groove 14 provided in such eye pieces.

The tongue member 13 used in connection with this form of eye piece is also slotted as at 21, and the spring ring 29 is mounted in the annular groove 14 of the eye piece. The ring 24 is normally positioned in the slot 21 thereby locking the ring member in said slot to prevent sidewise movement of the eye piece 15 with respect to the upper end of the drop wire on which it is mounted.

By the foregoing arrangement there is provided a drop Wire for warping machines and the like, which is so constructed as to permit the use of eye pieces of wear resistant material, which eye pieces may be readily inserted and replaced, and which, when mounted in position, may rotate in the securing means whereby the wear on the 3 inner surface of the hole through which the warp thread passes may be evenly distributed.

I claim:

1. A drop wire, for warping machines and the like, made of a thin flat strip ofmetal and having an eye piece of wear resistant material'carried at the upper end thereof, said eye piece having a central hole extending therethrough for the passage of a warp thread, andrneans for mounting said eye piece at the upper end of the drop wire comprising an elongated tongue extending from the upper end of the drop wire and around the eye piece, and a lip extending from the body of the drop wire behind which the end of the tongue is normally located to retain theeye piece in position, the end of the tongue being adapted to be sprung to free the same from engagement with the lip thereby to permit the removal and replacement of the eye piece.

2. A drop wire, for warping machines and the like, made of a thin flat strip of metal and having an eye piece of wear resistant material carried at the upper end thereof, said eye piece having acentral hole extending therethrough' for the passage of a warp thread, and means for mounting said eye piece at the upper end of the drop wire comprising an elongated tongue extending from the upper end of the drop wire and around the eye piece, and a lip extending from the body of the drop wire behind which the end of the tongue is normally located to retain the eye piece in position, the end of the tongue being adapted to be sprung edgewise to free the same from engagement with the lip thereby to permit the removal and replacement of the eye piece.

3. A drop Wire, for warping machines and the like, made of a thin flat strip of metal and having an eye piece of wear resistant material carried at the upper end thereof, said eye piece having a central hole extending therethrough for the passage of a warp thread, and means for rotatably mounting said eye piece at the upper end of the drop .wire comprising an elongated tongue extending from the upper end of the drop wire and around the eye piece with a loose fit, and a lip extending from the body of the drop wire behind which the end of the tongue is normally located'to retain the eye piece in position,

. 4 V the end of the tongue being adapted to be sprung to free the same from engagement with the lip thereby to permit the removal and replacement of the eye piece.

4. A drop wire, for warping machines and the like, made of a thin flat strip of metal and having an eye piece of wear resistant material carried at the upper end thereof, said eye piece having a central hole extending therethrough for the passage of a Warp thread, and means for rotatably mounting said eye piece at the upper end of the drop wire comprising an elongated tongue extending from the upper end of the drop wire and around'the eye piece, the eyepiece having an external groove intermediate the ends thereof in which said tongue is positioned with a loose fit, and'a lip extending from the body of the drop wire behind the end of which the tongue is normally located to retain the eye piece in position, the end of the tongue being adapted to be sprung to free the same from engagement with the lip therebyto permit the removal and replacement of the eye piece. V

5. A drop wire, for warping machines and the like, made of a thin flat strip of metal and having an eye piece of wear resistant material carried at the upper end thereof, said eye piece having a central hole extending therethrough for the passage of a warp thread, and means for mounting said eye piece at the upper end of the drop wire comprising an elongated tongue extending from the upper end of the drop wire and around the eye piece,

the eye piece having an external annular groovefintermediate the ends thereof, a spring ring positioned in said groove, the tongue having a slot for engagement with said spring ring, and a lip extending from the body of the drop Wire behind which the end of the tongue is normally located to retain the eye piece in position, the

- end of the tongue being adapted to be sprung to free the same from engagement with the lip thereby to permit the removal and replacement of the eye piece.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS 

